Episodes
July 29, 2026
1175: Wildfire Smoke Is No Longer Just a Western Problem
Oregon Health Authority's Gabriela Goldfarb and the Minnesota Department of Health's Kathy Koehler Raleigh discuss the health risks of wildfire smoke and extreme heat, along with practical advice on protecting communities from these events.
July 28, 2026
1174: Medicaid Collaboration and Vector-Borne Disease Policy
ASTHO's Beth Giambrone discusses a recent ASTHO Health Policy Update that discusses how states are approaching vector-borne disease policy. Then, ASTHO"s Orobosa Idehen shares about a new Medicaid Oversight Governance Map.
Guests: Beth Giambrone, MPP , Orobosa Idehen, MPH
July 27, 2026
1173: Why Public Health's Biggest Challenges Require Better Collaboration
Chelsea Moriarty Coffield discusses the importance of collaboration in public health and shares strategies for building trust and health equity.
July 24, 2026
1172: View from Washington, D.C.: Congress Races Toward Recess
On today's View from Washington, D.C. report, ASTHO's Jeffrey Ekoma highlights FY27 appropriations, CDC and ASPR nominees, and more legislative updates.
Guest: Jeffrey Ekoma, MBA, MS
July 23, 2026
1171: Leveraging the Rural Health Transformation Grant to Strengthen Maternal Health Systems
In this bonus, long-form episode, Daniel Edney, ASTHO president-elect and state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, explains how Mississippi is using Rural Health Transformation Program grant funding to strengthen maternal health systems, Then, Ramya Flores, director of Maternal and Infant Health at ASTHO, puts Mississippi's work into a national context, highlighting how states are adopting levels of maternal care to improve access to risk-appropriate services.
Guests: Daniel Edney MD , Ramya Flores, MPH
July 22, 2026
1170: Making Data Modernization Matter: Communicating Change in Public Health
Sarah Shaw, senior informatics analyst at the Public Health Informatics Institute, discusses a new Data Modernization Communications Toolkit designed to help public health professionals explain complex initiatives in ways that resonate with colleagues, leaders, and communities.
Guest: Sarah Shaw, MPH, PMP
July 21, 2026
1169: PHIG Impact Report: Building a Stronger Public Health Workforce in New Mexico
On today's PHIG Impact Report, Shadee Lauer, director for the Office of Training and Development at the New Mexico Department of Health, explains how the state is using PHIG funding to recruit, retain, and develop its workforce through data-driven strategies and innovative professional development programs.
Guest: Shadee Lauer, LPCC
July 20, 2026
1168: Strengthening Pennsylvania's Emergency Response System
In this episode, ASTHO member and Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen discusses how Pennsylvania's investment in EMS has strengthened emergency care across the state.
Guest: Debra Bogen, MD, FAAP
July 16, 2026
1167: PFAS, Public Trust, and the Power of Partnership
Christen Linke Young, cabinet secretary for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, discusses the collaborative, cross-agency approach Delaware has built to address PFAS contamination and other environmental health concerns in the state.
Guest: Christen Linke Young, JD
July 15, 2026
1166: Building Better Trainers in Public Health
Kaylin Clonch, workforce essential learning director at the South Carolina Department of Public Health, tells us about the agency’s approach to strengthening its training culture.
Guest: Kaylin Clonch, MEd
July 14, 2026
1165: Colorado's Healthy Kids Survey Reveals Encouraging Trends for Youth Well-Being
Emily Fine, school and youth survey manager in the Prevention Services Division at the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, highlights how findings from the 2025 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey showcased record low rates of persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts among youth.
Guest: Emily Fine
July 13, 2026
1164: Why States Are Watching the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
ASTHO’s Andy Baker-White, senior director for state health policy, discusses his recent Health Policy Update that focuses on the role of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in shaping preventive care recommendations and insurance coverage.
Guest: Andy Baker-White, JD, MPH
July 10, 2026
1163: New Faces, New Direction at HHS: June 2026
On today's episode, ASTHO's Catherine Murphy highlights the latest leadership changes across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including nominations within CDC, FDA, and more.
Guest: Catherine Murphy
July 9, 2026
1162: Rebuilding Public Trust Through Storytelling
Jerome Larkin, ASTHO member and director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, discusses Rhode Island's "Better State of Healthy" campaign and how it is helping the department build connections with the community.
Guest: Jerome Larkin, MD
July 8, 2026
1161: Finding Your Voice: Leadership Lessons from the DELPH Program
On today's episode, Gabby Hadly, emergency preparedness and response manager for the Snohomish County Health Department in Washington state, reflects on her experience in ASTHO's Developing Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) program.
Guest: Gabby Hadly, MPH
July 7, 2026
1160: PHIG Impact Report: Palau's Data Transformation Journey
On today's PHIG Impact Report, Tmong Udui with the Palau Ministry of Health and Human Services shares how Palau is using PHIG funding to modernize its health data systems.
Guest: Tmong Udui, MPH
July 6, 2026
1159: Strengthening Public Health Through Preparedness
On today's episode, Catherine Jones, senior analyst of Government Affairs at ASTHO, breaks down the importance of federal preparedness in strengthening public health.
Guest: Catherine Jones, MPH
July 2, 2026
1158: Staying Safe During Tick Season, and Leading with Purpose
Alison Hinckley, lead of Epidemiology and Surveillance in CDC's Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, explains this season's increase in tick data and simple prevention steps to reduce Tick-borne diseases. Then, Latoya Sahadeo, ASTHO’s director of the Developing Executives Leading in Public Health (DELPH) Program, shares about the DELPH program and the call for applications.
Guests: Latoya Sahadeo MPH , Alison Hinckley, PhD
July 1, 2026
1157: How Wastewater Data Protects Public Health
Epidemiologist and Program Manager for Washington State's Wastewater-based Epidemiology Program Breanna McArdle,sits down with ASTHO and discusses how wastewater surveillance offers important data that fills in public health gaps. She also touches on the ethical and privacy concerns that come with wastewater surveillance, and the importance of collaboration in creating healthier futures.
Guest: Breanna McArdle, MPH
June 30, 2026
1156: PHIG Impact Report: AI in Public Health
On today's PHIG Impact Report, Tatiana Lin and Shelby Rowell from the Kansas Health Institute highlight how health departments are using AI to improve efficiency and expand workforce capacity.
Guests: Shelby Rowell, MPA , Tatiana Lin, MA
June 29, 2026
1155: Maternal Health Solutions from South Dakota
On today's episode, Denise Hanisch from the South Dakota Department of Health shares the state's maternal and infant health priorities, and ASTHO's Sanaa Akbarali highlights takeaways from the Region 7 Maternal Health ECHO Summit.
Guests: Sanaa Akbarali, MPH , Denise Hanisch, MD
June 26, 2026
1154: Public Health Leadership and Innovation in the Islands
On today's episode, ASTHO's Joseph Kanter and Andy Baker-White highlight takeaways from the Executive Leadership Forum and the legislative actions advancing public health in island jurisdictions.
June 25, 2026
1153: Building Change Leadership and Implementation Capacity in Public Health
On today's episode, ASTHO's Sara Bell and Alice Schenall discuss how public health agencies can turn strategic plans into measurable progress and lead through change and uncertainty.
Guests: Alice Schenall, DrPH, MPH , Sara Bell, MPH
June 24, 2026
1152: Building a Strong Public Health Workforce Through Onboarding
On today's episode, Mary Ramirez from the South Carolina Department of Public Health discusses the agency’s innovative onboarding program for new employees.
Guest: Mary Ramirez